Problem Solved: Choosing texture over pattern

Stripping the stripes

By Jill Montag/Life@Home

The Problem: When interior designer Lynn Ricci, co-owner of Classic Interiors in Clifton Park, walked into this sleeping porch turned walk-in closet in Troy, the crisis was clear. In order to transform this room for the Vanguard Designer Showhouse, she needed to ditch the stripes that pervaded the walls and the furniture. “It looked like it was a tiny little room when in fact it was quite a large room,” Ricci explains. “Too much of any pattern is just never good. Your eye doesn’t know where to stop looking … you certainly can’t relax in the room.”

The first change Ricci made was to replace the wallpaper with a neutral paint color that would work well with the existing flooring. She added texture by upholstering the walls in the back alcove in a tweed fabric, relegating patterns to the draperies, furniture and accessories. The final product — a welcoming walk-in closet for the owner and a lounging area for his best friend.

Top Tip: When it comes to designing the basics of a room, choose textures over patterns. This allows for a more contemporary and versatile look. “You could take all this furniture out and put just about anything in this room after you get rid of the striped wallpaper and replace it with a neutral color,” says Ricci. This is especially useful when it comes time to sell, or if you tire of things quickly and are always tweaking your furnishings and accessories for a new look.